Georgia coach Kirby Smart confirmed that the Bulldogs hope to have Julian Rochester back for another season next year.
That was becoming increasingly obvious as the season has continued and Rochester rarely had been deployed. The senior from Powder Springs had offeseason knee surgery but has remained active during practices and usually dressed out and traveled for games, but rarely has played.
"Maybe we've been thinking about that the whole time,” Smart said coyly after the Bulldogs' practice Tuesday.
Rochester, a 6-foot-5, 300-pound senior from Powder Springs, has played major roles for the Bulldogs throughout his career. He came into this season having appeared in 42 games in his career with 19 starts. Playing anything from noseguard to end, he has 91 career tackles and 5.5 sacks.
But Rochester played only against against Tennessee and Florida this season.
“It's kind of what we've been working towards,” Smart said of the redshirt. “It's not set yet because we don't know how many games we've got left. But he did a great job in the Tennessee game. Jordan (Davis) went down and he filled it. He's done a great job contributing. It's something we've thought about since the beginning of the year."
Rochester's return next season would be helpful to the Bulldogs' defensive cause. They're set to lose Michael Barnett, Tyler Clark, David Marshall and Justin Young off the defensive line due to graduation.
Saturday, the Bulldogs will hold Senior Day ceremonies before the Texas A&M game. No word on whether Rochester will participate.
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